On Thursday, March 14, we held an Action Platform on “Economy and Employment: Creating a Sympathetic Economy and Supporting a Mutual Aid Society with Companies at the Core” at Osaka University’s Nakanoshima Center “Inochi Plaza” and online. The hybrid event gathered 20 attendees in person and 18 online. Below is a summary of the proceedings.

Takuo Dome, “Creating a Sympathetic Economy and Supporting a Mutual Aid Society with Companies at the Core.”

✓The fundamental structure of modern society: capable individuals (capable) include and support the vulnerable.

✓Post-COVID19, the potential for roles of capable and vulnerable to suddenly reverse has become evident. This highlights the importance of a society centered around “lives in need of help” (vulnerable), supported by “lives that help” (capable).

✓In a mutual aid society, companies, along with governments and NGOs, play a significant central role.
Companies need to build new societal structures and behavior patterns supported by the empathy of investors, workers, and consumers.

✓Today’s theme focuses on the structure of a “sympathetic market economy,” which underpins a mutual aid society.

Takashi Ito, “Future Society for Our Lives Where No One is Left Behind: An Economy and Society of Empathy and Mutual Aid, Created Together by All of Us.”

✓”Seller”: Creating value (customer, economic, and social value). Improving society through cooperation.
Elevating companies’ ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance): Clarifying a company’s position compared to others and setting improvement goals with clear guidelines.

✓”Buyer”: Empathizing with the seller’s values and actions, and supporting them. Providing ESG information is key to promoting empathy-based purchasing.
Good companies gain more support, leading to a better society.

✓Developing a sustainability app: Comparing ESG-related external evaluations (public data) for companies and products to promote empathy-based purchasing.

✓Reflecting on the exhaustion from prioritizing low prices (exploitation of labor and materials, weakened companies). Building a market economy based on empathy between sellers and buyers, aiming for mutual benefit and a better society (Sanpoyoshi principle).